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Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Shaburi Shabu-Shabu at Senayan

A year ago I made a post about Shaburi (click here) but it was pretty half-a$$ed so I decided to make another post redeem myself! The last time I went here I got the basic Beef Shabu-Shabu as my choice of meat priced at IDR 138.000++ but in this particular post, my table ordered the Special Beef Shabu-Shabu (IDR 188.000++). The price applies to each person on a table and everyone on the same table has to order the same choice of meat onto the table. With that price, you will get an unlimited plate of your choice of beef slices, access to the buffet that includes bottomless soft drinks, gyudon, side dishes, vegetables, sauces, etc. The only thing that differentiates the price were only the quality of beef you've chosen for your table. So there you go, the first thing you got to do is to pick out your choice of beef as you got seated. The trays of beef will then be delivered to your table.

As you've picked out your cut of beef as you get seated is to pick out your choice of sauce. There are several choices of soup which you can cook your beef and sides in. These are the available options: Original Konbu Soup, Hot Miso Soup, Chicken Collagen Paitan, Sukiyaki, and Soy Milk Miso Soup. I have tried all of the flavors but my favorite end up being the classic Original Konbu Soup and the Chicken Collagen Paitan. Pictured on above are the Soy Milk Miso Soup and the Hot Miso Soup sukiyaki broth. As each consumer will get one personal Hotpot boiler, you can pick different flavors for everyone on the table to try out. If you would like to get another pot, you can do so with added surcharge.

As you get your soup boiling, pick out your favorite side dishes ranging from various vegetables, mushroom, noodles, rice, karaage, beef yakiniku, tamaki, shrimps, fish and so on and so forth. I would always get their karaage and their selection of mushrooms: champignon, shiitake and then carry on eating. I would consider the tip given by The Fung Bros on their Hot Pot 101 video that the order for a hot pot is to begin with inserting the: 1) vegetable, 2) beef, 3) seafood; all based on how strong the flavor will affect the flavor of the broth. Not all of the available dishes on the buffet table are raw, some of them are easily ready to eat but you can still cook it to customize its doneness and texture.

Also, get your own tare or dipping sauce. There are several option of sauces that you can get but I always mix things up and the flavor was not always... successful. The options are the basic savory ponzu tare sauce, creamy sesame gomadare tare, and the sweet Genghis Khan sauce. My favorite were the ponzu sauce because I think the rest really does not suit my taste bud -- one was too sweet and the other is too sour. At the end of the day, I would just get another bowl for plain ponzu sauce and at other time, the hotpot broth was sufficient to flavor the whole meal.

The sides vary by the day, some sides can be found in some branches and not in other. They have a constant circulation for the sides so there were plenty to go around. Aside from the side dishes, I actually enjoy taking the beef yakiniku with a bowl (gyu don) of steamed rice which I know it may sound weird since it contradicts the purpose of eating out at Shaburi to enjoy a fresh cut of beef cooked in your own pot but even though the focus of Shaburi should've been the beef shabu-shabu, the buffet table is what interest me.

Aside from the mains, there was also an ice cream machine with flavors ranging from chocolate, vanilla or matcha (while stock lasts). There was also a bottomless option of soft drinks, tea, juice and mineral water. I found that the Senayan branch has more beverage option compared to the other Shaburi(s) around town. The place also has a good layout so going around back and forth would not be a hassle.

There's also an a la carte menu available if you would like to choose a very plate of your chosen beef. An idea if you want to choose a better cut of beef is to order the cheaper beef and order an a la carte wagyu, as a la carte beef can only be ordered with the main menu. The thing you can order aside from your chosen packages is the a la carte wagyu, beer, and fresh eggs. As for the service, mainly the service was ready to take your order and to serve your serving of beef of choice upon your request. This is all pretty much self-service but the server was helpful in case you'd need anything. Pro tip: go for the beef and fresh sides; but don't hesitate to try out the variety of possible combination with other dishes. In regards to the time limit 70-90 minutes can get you a whole lot of round. In my case, the time may also be dismissed completely if there were no queue present -- specifically at near closing hour.